Thirteen, Sir
by AnnaTalula
Summary: Natasha rescues a boy from a HYDRA facility. The Avengers don't know what they're getting themselves into.


**Hey, all. My first shot at a multi-chapter fic, bear with me. **

**This is not canon, in some happy world where everything works. It's set like pre-AoU but characters from after AoU are coming in. No Thanos or anything. Not remotely canon, though I try to keep characters in character. No idea when I'll be able to update. Enjoy! :P**

"And this is Thirteen, one of our _finest_ experiments." I stood up the tiniest bit straighter. I was aware I'd never sell, nobody'd want a subject like me, but those who behaved well were rewarded. Doctor was currently describing my _advancements_, a list I had heard given to enough investors for a regular person to memorize.

I took this moment to evaluate the potential investor that was assessing me through the thin glass wall. She was a confident woman, wearing a skirt/suit jacket combo. A pair of pins were displayed on her jacket. One was a HYDRA pin, which she recognized easily, the other one, which was harder to identify, a recently invalidated S.H.I.E.L.D. pin. She also sported bright red hair and green eyes.

I stifled a yawn and concentrated on their conversation.

"He also has enhanced hearing and sight, which supply plenty of stimuli for his advanced brain to process."

"The work you've done on him is fascinating, I'd love to hear more."

I did a double-take. Somebody wanted to potentially invest in me? I hadn't had a potential investor since I was six.

"Of course, would you like to get a closer look at it—him?

"Yes, I would."

Doctor opened the glass door and they entered my cell.

"Thirteen, this is Ms. Callister, she is a potential investor in you."

I nodded and stepped back to give the adults more room.

"How old is he, Alex?"

"He'll be nine in exactly three weeks." Three weeks, eighteen hours, and four minutes to be precise.

"Mhmm, I see. When did you start this experiment?"

"About nine and a half years ago." Nine years, eight months, six days, and twenty-two hours ago.

"He's really something. There were fifteen of them when we started, but by the time he was four he was the only one left." Not strictly true, eight lasted until they were four and a half, and eleven lasted until they were almost six. There were rumors that Two is still alive somewhere, they gave him a different variation and apparently he was sold.

"Is he scheduled to have any more improvements any time soon?"

"No, our experiments were five year plans, we never expected to have any survive. We did not terminate him yet because we would like to see the effects of aging, but those are conducted wirelessly through a chip in his neck."

"I see."

"You can think about investing, but we have one more fantastic option for you… this next Extremis stabilizing attempt is the most promising one we've seen!"

"Actually, I think I'd like to buy him."

"You want to invest in Thirteen? Are you sure?"

"No. I want to buy Thirteen. We have a lab that is equipped to handle him, and he's just like what we've been looking for."

"Uh okay then…"

"How much you want? 500K?"

"He alone cost more than that" I resisted the urge to snort—I cost about a third of that. We weren't exactly a high priority project.

The investor, Callister, and Doctor, whose name was Alex but we weren't to know that, stepped out of my cell.

They eventually settled on a price. I knew that Doctor wasn't thrilled at the fact I was still around after the project window terminated, but this was as much as a business than a research lab.

"Wonderful. You can take him tomorrow, we need a day for prep."

"That won't be a problem."

The next day went quickly. I received a sedative for easy traveling, which was completely unnecessary but whatever. I also was cuffed and shock collared—their favorite way of keeping violent experiments subdued. I was not violent—they may have needed to cuff and sedate the Winter Soldier (someone I wasn't supposed to know about) but a well-trained boy like me wasn't going to do anything.

I was handed over to Callister rather easily, the payment must've been digital.

Callister wasn't thrilled at the idea of leading me on a chain like a dog, but she took it loosely and led me through the ordered maze of halls that constructed the laboratory towards the exit.

_What are you getting yourself into, Natasha? _I know the mission. Scope out undercover, find targets, figure out how to best take down. I never thought there would be a _child _here. What am I supposed to do? Let them kill him when he stops giving results?

I didn't expect to be handed a chain with the boy cuffed to the end, like a dog, but I had to keep pretense up.

Soon enough the boy was in the backseat and I was driving to the airport where the quintet waited to pick me up. Once we were far enough away from the base, the lab, I pulled over to go check on the kid.

"Hey there."

He only blinked in acknowledgment.

"Here, let's get you outta those cuffs."

The boy remained passive as I reached into my bag and started removing the cuffs with the keys they had given me. He didn't move until they were off, and then he only rubbed his wrists and neck.

We drove the rest of the way in silence, which I wasn't terribly surprised about. I wasn't sure the boy could talk, but if I were in his shoes I wouldn't be chatting either.

**Thx for reading, feel free to review and all. :D**


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